It’s always gratifying to receive accolades from colleagues in your field. here’s an e-mail sent to me from a Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon in Europe that I thought I’d share with you. It highlights what I’ve said on my blog over and over. The US in general and Beverly Hills particularly have the highest trained Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeons in the world…bar none.

Dear Dr.Palmer,

I found a courage to write you this short email, after I found out on web that you belong to the top ten plastic aesthetic surgeons and I would love to have really professional advice for my issue.

I am a plastic surgeon, in present opening my own private practice in Austria. Originally I come from Slovakia, but I did my training abroad. I would like to ask you for a kindness. I would like to ask you for your oppinion(as you are very experienced professional) what are the best books as for a facial plastic surgery, it means, for facelift, browlift-foreheadlift, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty(also as for Asiats), facial implants(included chin surgery), etc. plus also as for any books for body procedures(breasts, lipo, thigh-buttock lift, etc), and finally as for chemical peeling, botox, mesotherapy or other typical procedures for aging skin.

Please, it is very important to me, as my colleagues say completely different books and to decide about which ones, as there are very expensive, I do not want to buy ones which are not worth it. As I appreciate your oppinion, I would be more than pleased by your professional advice. I know you are very busy, but please, I will be very grateful if you find any time for me to reply. I wish you the very best at work and also in your private life. Once again, thank you very much.

A very nice note. I told this Plastic Surgeon that training and experience makes a Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon…not the books he/she reads. Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon is learned and honed, as a skill, by doing….it’s not a spectator sport…not something that can be learned by reading alone. You have to do Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery procedures to learn them…and do them over and over and over many, many times.